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It is with deep sadness that the English Department notes the death of our friend and colleague Susan Gardner, who was always kind-hearted, generous, and thoughtful. Susan died on Jan. 2, 2022 after an extensive illness. Before coming to UNC Charlotte in 1990, she earned her PhD from Rhodes University in South Africa and her […]

Sandra J. Hairston, who graduated from the Department of English in 1981, has just been appointed to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle Districts of North Carolina. Hairston and Dena King are the first Black women to serve as the top officials in each jurisdiction. Hairston, grew up in Walnut Cove, NC (just […]

Congratulations to JuliAnna Ávila and her colleagues, AG Rud (Washingtoin State), Leonard Waks (Temple University), and Emer Ring (Mary Immaculate College, Ireland) on the publication of an important new collection addressing the work or philosopher/educator John Dewey (1859-1952). The Contemporary Relevance of John Dewey’s Theories on Teaching and Learning deconstructs issues regarding accountability mechanisms, uniform […]

Congratulations to Professors Jeffrey Leak and Mark West for receiving the “Distinguished Faculty Award” from the Alumni Association for 2020 and 2021 respectively. This is an exceptional distinction for both Leak and West, and for the Department of English as well. The annual UNC Charlotte Alumni Awards Ceremony recognizes alumni, faculty, and friends whose careers […]

Elizabeth Miller is the co-editor of a new book, Extending Applied Linguistics for Social Impact, from Bloomsbury. Drawing on–but also extending–the theories and methods of applied linguistics, thecollection demonstrates how scholars of language might work together and with non-language specialists to address pressing concerns and issues of our time. Chapters explore efforts to recognize the […]

Congratulations to JuliAnna Ávila on the publication of her new book, Critical Digital Literacies: Boundary-Crossing Practices, which is Vol. 7 in Brill’s “Critical Media Literacies Series.” With a focus on social justice, ther contibutors to this collection advance the theories and praxis of Critical Digital Literacies. Aimed at literacy, teacher education, and English Education practitioners, […]

Kudos to Prof. Aaron Gwyn, the recepient of the 2021 Oklahoma Book Award in Fiction for his most recent novel All God’s Children. Praise for Gwyn’s novel includes Sam Sacks’s review in The Wall Street Journal, which observes that “Gwyn has couched his meanings within a swift and skillful western, which allows them to unfold […]

It is no surprise that Angie Williams is one of the most treasured people in the English Department, but her significance, good will, and energy have–once again–been recognized by the university. Congratulations to Angie who was just named UNC Charlotte Staff Employee of the Year in the category of Community and Public Service. The Award […]

Congratulations to the English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) and to The Children’s Literature Graduate Organization (CLGO) for putting together a well-organized and intellectually engaging conference. Kudos to Mikaya Marlow, Sarah Whichello. Ashley Wilson, Abbey Olive, Makayla Moore, Katie Baker, Verso Woodford, Trina Rumfelt, and Meenakshi Sathish. Organizing a conference is difficult at the best of […]

Both Prof. Lara Vetter and Prof. Kirk Melnikoff are recipients of the “Professor of the Year Award” which is given by the English Graduate Student Association and the Children’s Literature Graduate Organization. It is unclear if this is the first “tie” in the history of the award, but it is a tribute to two outstanding […]